HK Nutrition

Delicious Dates- Christmas Treats

I hope this finds you all well. 

As we are often surrounded by ‘treats’ that we don’t really want, or even really like, at this time of year, I thought I would re-share some quick & easy alternatives with you. 

I also wanted to take the opportunity to wish each of you good health throughout December and a Happy Christmas.

Thank you for taking the time to follow me and for your support.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

20 fresh dates

100g dark chocolate (min 60% cocoa solids)

Filling Options

Peanut butter           
Almond Butter          
Tahini ( sesame seed paste)

Coconut (method and ingredients below)

Melt 1 tsp of coconut fat in a small saucepan. When the fat has melted add 2 tbsp of desiccated coconut and mix well. Press the mixture together with the back of a spoon.

This will make enough coconut filling for 4-5 dates.

Method

Break the chocolate into pieces

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water

Stone the dates by slitting them lengthways

Stuff the dates with the filling of your choice. You will need ¼ to ½ a tsp of nut butter or tahini for each date.

Dip the dates into the melted chocolate (wooden cocktail or bbq sticks work well for this)

Place on a wire rack and leave to cool until the chocolate hardens

Store in the fridge

Time Saver

If this is a sweet treat to eat at home, you could add a small piece of chocolate to each date, rather than melting the chocolate.

I hope you, your family, friends and guests enjoy trying them!....


healthyfood


 

Coconut Ice
This is a quick, easy, tasty and nutrient dense snack.

As promised to those I met at the Women's Health event in Lavenham on Saturday evening, here is the recipe for coconut ice.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Makes: 12 pieces

Ingredients
40g coconut oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
80g (one cup) desiccated coconut
Freeze dried raspberry pieces to decorate

Method
Line a tin or container approximately 16cm by 12 cm with baking paper
Melt the coconut oil
Once melted add the maple syrup and stir thoroughly
Add the desiccated and mix thoroughly
Transfer to your lined container and press down with the back of a spoon
Add the raspberry pieces and press down again
Put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set
Once set, cut into pieces and enjoy

This will keep in the fridge for a week.
A tube of freeze dried raspberry pieces will make 3 batches of coconut ice.
This is nutrient dense because
coconut is a great source of minerals such as iron, copper selenium and potassium. Selenium is an antioxidant and great for cellular health. Iron and copper are helpful for the health of our red blood cells and potassium can help to regulate blood.


healthychoices

Here are nine things a nutritional therapist has in their tool kit to help you explore the roots of your digestive symptoms?

Your symptoms

Yor health history

Your food diary

Your hydration levels

Your lifestyle (stress, physical activity etc)

Home tests – such as the Bicarbonate of Soda test to assess your stomach acid levels

Stool testing – this is quite different from the type of stool testing that your GP may have already carried out

Breath test for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)

Food Intolerance Testing

These give us lots of information so that we can tailor our advice to help and support you with your health goals.....

    
       
  # foodintolerancetesting # stomachacid # hydration

What do you have for lunch? Would you like some ideas?
Both of these lunches are naturally gluten and dairy free, quick to make and contain a good sources of protein ( eggs and seeds) and vegetables/ salad.
The working away from home lunch contains a little brown rice for extra fibre and energy.
Some people with IBS do not tolerate gluten ( or arguably the fructans in wheat) very well.
Having a lunch naturally free of these can be helpful for some people. In addition, this type of lunch may contain more protein and more vegetables than it is possible to get in a sandwich.

If you are vegan, you could swap the eggs for hummus, mushroom and walnut pate, or mashed tofu with pesto.

Fish or chicken could be alternatives for others not tolerating eggs.

What do you have for lunch? What works for you?....

    
       
 
in the kitchen # glutenfree # dairyfree # veganoption # lunchideas

I love what I do because I am able to help people.

Feedback is also greatly appreciated.

Sadly, many people with IBS describe themselves as feeling anxious, suffering, desperate, stressed, embarrassed, uncomfortable or out of hope about their digestive symptoms.

Bearing in mind that it is estimated that 1 in 20 people in the UK are affected by IBS, that is a lot of people potentially suffering.

Nutritional therapy can be a really helpful place to start for someone to start exploring the roots of their digestive symptoms.....

    
       
 


You are welcome to get in touch, if you would like to find out more.

This quick and easy smoothie recipe is well tolerated and thoroughly enjoyed by many of my clients with IBS. I hope you will enjoy it too

You don’t need a fancy blender for this one. A stick blender will work perfectly well.

Recipe

200 ml plant-based milk e.g. oat milk

1 banana

1 tbsp peanut/almond butter/ tahini

1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1-3 tbsp oats (optional)

40g blueberries (optional)

Blend all of the ingredients together.  The oats, if used,  will make this much thicker. Adjust the consistency by adding more oat milk....


    
       
   

Did you know that according to the charity GUTS UK….. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects approximately 1 in 20 of us in the UK.

 That is 3.2 million people! If you’re not affected by IBS yourself, it’s likely you have friends or family members who are.

I’ll be sharing some information and IBS friendly recipes throughout the month...

    
       
 

According to the NHS:

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that affects the digestive system.

 It causes symptoms like stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. These tend to come and go over time, and can last for days, weeks or months at a time.

 It's usually a lifelong problem. It can be very frustrating to live with and can have a big impact on your everyday life.

There's no cure, but diet changes and medicines can often help control the symptoms.

The exact cause is unknown – it's been linked to things like food passing through your gut too quickly or too slowly, oversensitive nerves in your gut, stress and a family history of IBS.

This may not sound very hopeful but my experience is that diet and lifestyle changes can often really help to settle things down and reduce the impact on daily life.....

    
       
   

Delighted to attend this event in person on Saturday.
Really wonderful to be with colleagues ( in particular Lianne from ) , lovely to learn and in addition the food provided by 155 Bishopsgate was fantastic.
I also collected some
product samples which I am looking forward to sharing with my clients....

Food must feast the eyes as well as the stomach.
I came across this quote at the Joy exhibition in London and it really resonated with me.
Is the look of your food important to you?
How do you create a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach?
I love to add colour- usually with salad or vegetables.
Sometimes a favourite plate or bowl too - see next image. The plate is from my grandma's house and brings fond memories of her delicious roast dinners.....

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and joyful Christmas. Thank you for taking the time to read, share and like my posts in recent months.I appreciate your support. I hope that you have found the posts helpful.
This will be my last post for 2021 so I am sharing one of my favourite recipes for Christmas treats

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

30 fresh dates

60g ground almonds

Finely grated zest and a little juice of one orange (use lemon if you prefer)

150g dark chocolate (min 60% cocoa solids)

Method

Stone the dates by slitting them lengthways

Combine the ground almonds with the orange zest and enough juice for a malleable consistency

If you are short on time, you could use almond or peanut butter instead.

Stuff the dates with the almond mixture

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water

Dip the dates into the melted chocolate (wooden cocktail or bbq sticks work well for this)

Place on a wire rack and leave to cool until the chocolate hardens
 
Although fairly sweet, this recipe is also nutrient dense, meaning that it provides some nutrients rather than just ‘empty calories’.

Almonds are a good source of protein as well as the minerals calcium and magnesium and Vitamin E. Dates are a good source of iron.

I find making these at Christmas quite therapeutic and people are always delighted to eat them!

 


 
   
# foodintolerances

How to Manage the Festive Season with Special Dietary Requirements or Food Intolerances

Many people that I work with have special dietary requirements or food intolerances and find this time of year a challenge – not wanting to be a pain, not wanting to put anyone out, and worrying about eating foods that trigger their symptoms.

This can of course be difficult with more occasions to eat out or at other people’s houses, and spontaneity with food can be more tricky. Here are five things to explore to help you manage this:

Eating out

Check out the menu in advance

Phone ahead – let the venue know of your dietary requirements. You are not being a pain. They will want to provide a meal that you can eat and enjoy- Yes really!

Eating at Other People’s Houses

Let the host know in advance of your dietary needs – this will help them too

Offer to take a dish

If need be, give a list of what you can and can’t eat. This will help the person preparing the food to be to be clear.